The Kishwaukee College Floral Design department hosted guest designer Trisha Locke
AIFD CFD ICPF on Tuesday, March 30, as part of the Artist In Residence (AIR) program
offered through the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD).
Locke presented a virtual lecture to students in Associate Professor of Horticulture
Janet Gallagher’s Floral Design class. The lecture covered different types of designs
and techniques used to make floral arrangements. She also led a demonstration showcasing
the techniques, which allowed the students to create their own landscape designs.
“I liked how Trisha was so organized. I learned how to use sticks differently in my
spring arrangements by turning them into a fence,” said Kish Horticulture Student
Sierrah Anderson.
Kishwaukee College is one of only 13 colleges in the nation with a Student AIFD chapter.
The AIR program is offered through the AIFD to bring together industry professionals
and floral design students at colleges and universities that have Student AIFD chapters.
Anderson said resources like these made Kish’s Horticulture Program the best option
for pursuing her career goals.
“Kishwaukee offered the horticulture program, while the other community colleges near
me didn't. I really enjoy the community that the staff and students have created,”
Anderson said.
With nearly three decades of experience in the floral industry, Locke currently does
freelance work for florists while running her own business called Locke Floral Studio
in Champaign, Ill. She also helped start the floral program at Parkland College in
Champaign and taught as an instructor. Currently, Locke is an accredited member of
the AIFD, an AIFD certified judge, a member of the Illinois State Florists’ Association
(ISFA) and an Illinois Certified Professional Florist (ICPF). She has earned Designer
of the Year and Designer of the Year 1st Runner Up in the ISFA’s annual contest.
For more information on the Floral Design Program at Kishwaukee College, visit www.kish.edu/horticulture. For more information on the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), visit
www.aifd.org.